The Widow
by ClubCafe
Summary: An arranged marriage for Kasumi leaves her with terrible life. But there is always a light at the end of the tunnel...
1. Chapter 1

Standard Disclaimer: I don't own any of the chars, etc.

The Widow

Kasumi sat at the window of her bedroom, gazing listlessly out into the cold rainy night. Her eyes seemed so far away, and dried up tears could be seen on her cheeks. A flash of lightning illuminated the room briefly, casting haunting shadows across the walls. Slowly, Kasumi turned to look around her room. The lights were off, giving the once warm room a dark and depressing, almost frightening appearance. Then she heard it. It was a distant noise, a dull thumping really. It sounded almost like someone was striking something firmly, like a plank of wood, possibly a door.

"Oh my, someone is at the door. I guess I'll have to get that…" Kasumi looked at her own door before rising from the soft backed chair she had been sitting on. As she crossed the path to her doorway, she caught a brief glance at a picture frame that was overturned. Just looking at the wretched object brought on a new wave of raw emotion that she was not prepared for. Grasping onto her nearby dresser she slowly lowered herself to the floor, her carpet greedily absorbing the newly spilt tears. Grabbing the picture frame, she threw it at the wall as fast and as hard as she could. The sharp sound of shattered and splintered glass was music to her ears. Wiping the burning tears from her eyes, she slowly looked in the direction of the wall, and at the signs of her work. As her eyes fell on the broken picture frame, she saw that the very picture she sought to drive from her vision, was now staring back at her defiantly. The picture was a simple three quarter shot of two people in traditional wedding clothes. The bride was herself, and the groom was a taller man with short-cropped black hair. The man was grinning smugly at the camera, looking like the guilty cat himself. Kasumi was looking demurely away from the camera, her face, and more importantly her downcast frown, was covered slightly by her white veil. From first glance, one could almost assume it was an arranged affair.

Their parents right had arranged it after Ranma had left them two years ago. Since he didn't marry Akane, no surprise really, after how she treated him, her father was anxious to find someone to run the dojo. Then along came Tatsuya and his father Toyo Yakima. Tatsuya was an excellent martial artist, nowhere near Ranma and the rest, but still very good, having already taught at numerous dojos across Japan. The dowry had been a large sum of money and fifty percent of the profits from the dojo. The same choice of the three daughters was given to Tatsuya, and everyone assumed he would choose Akane, she being the only one who still practiced martial arts. But for some odd reason, which later on became apparent, he chose Kasumi. She knew that she had to uphold honor and marry Tatsuya, as they would be able to provide for her family. The Yakima's were very wealthy, enough to make Nabiki think twice about the engagement. Especially since Tatsuya wanted Kasumi. Nabiki and Akane tried their hardest to get Soun to change his mind about the engagement, even going so far as to offer themselves in her place. But both Soun and Tatsuya were adamant in their decisions. Even though Kasumi herself, did not want to marry, she would never voice those thoughts to anyone, not even her sisters, as it would only make her look bad in her fathers eyes. She had to do her family duty and marry Tatsuya, even though it was against her wishes.

The marriage ceremony went by faster then anyone could imagine and soon it was time for the honeymoon. Kasumi was all but shaking in fear of that night, but she had to fulfill her duty to the Tendo name and gather her resolve. Their honeymoon location was dismal at best. A shady flat in Hokkaido that the Yakima's owned was to be the place where Kasumi would have her last night as an innocent. When the dreaded time came, Kasumi sat on the bed, silently shivering. As Tatsuya entered the room and began to disrobe, Kasumi bowed low and quietly requested him to be gentle with her.

"Oh I'm going to be anything but gentle, dear." Tatsuya said with a malicious grin, causing Kasumi to look up in unhidden fear.

"Wh-what?"

"And don't worry, there's no one around for miles. You can scream as loud as you want…" Tatsuya said softly, still smiling as he closed in on her. At that point she did scream, and continued much into the night.

The next two years had been an absolute hell for Kasumi. Tatsuya beat her at the slightest mistake or instance. As a martial artist, he knew where to strike to achieve the most pain with the least visible damage, and often kept his blows away from her face and arms. Kasumi finally understood why he chose her for his bride. He knew that Akane would fight back and probably win, and that Nabiki would retaliate in ways that would hurt other than physically. Kasumi didn't know enough martial arts to fight back, and would not due to her docile and subservient nature.

There were only a few instances where light fell into the poor dark pit that was Kasumi's marriage, and that was when she met up with Ranma again. They had only met a few times, twelve at the most, but they would spend hours just talking and catching up on old times. They would usually meet at a local café or teashop, and it always ended with Ranma taking her shopping and buying her something, usually a small trinket. He never told her where he got his income from, often waiving it off as not important. She just assumed it came from underground fighting rings he cleaned out in. It was easy to see why, when a young man, barely 20 comes in claming to take on any opponent. Then he would bet on himself with large odds, beat all the other fighters and walk out with large amounts of money. And he could also do it twice for the same fight if he used his cursed form to place the second bet.

Once when they had met, Tatsuya had beaten her the night before, and Ranma almost found out when he touched one of her bruises. They had been walking down the sidewalk when a cyclist rode by too closely. She would have been struck had he not pulled her out of the way. She tried to suppress the pain, but an almost inaudible gasp escaped her lips. Anyone but Ranma would have missed it, but Ranma being himself, could probably hear a girl in trouble from halfway across the planet.

"Are you ok? Did I hurt you? Oh God Kasumi I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to hurt you! I swear sometimes I forget my strength."

"No I'm ok, it's not from you it's just an sore spot from…something…" She trailed off, avoiding his gaze.

"What from?" He asked innocently.

"Well the other day I was doing some gardening, and a slipped and fell on the handle of my trowel."

Kasumi hated lying to Ranma in any way, but she could not let him know about how Tatsuya beat her almost nightly. Although she would be glad to see Ranma tear into him, the thought of which made a small part of her gasp in astonishment, she could not bring him into her problems, as he had enough of his own.

Looking back to see if he bought the lie, Kasumi waited for a moment while Ranma seemed to consider her words before nodding and turning to walk without another word.

After that meeting, she was pretty sure that Ranma suspected things were not as they seemed. He never said anything about it, but she could see it in his eyes when they spoke.

But now that was over. Her life of hell had been turned upside down. Tatsuya was dead, and she was now a widow. His death had been very ironic, almost cosmically so. He had been drinking again, and while at one of his favorite bars, decided to pick a fight with another patron, someone who you could tell would be a complete pushover. Since half the bar was in his pocket, he had no problems as he carried the scared man out behind the bar to take out his drunken rage on. Shortly after leaving, the man's girlfriend followed them out and defended them man by fighting Tatsuya herself. She proved to be an even better martial artist than Tatsuya, which made him so incensed that he pulled out a knife and tried to stab the woman. In a panic, the woman used a killing blow in self-defense, ending the life of Tatsuya Yakima, and his terrible marriage to Kasumi Tendo.

That was two days ago, and now Kasumi lay sprawled out on her bedroom floor in the house that was bought by Tatsuya. The loud knocking sounded again, bringing her out of her reverie. Sniffling, she rose again and hurried down the stairs to the front door. Catching a glance out one of the side windows had told her enough time had passed that the rain had ceased it's assault on the earth. Taking a moment to compose herself before opening the door, she took a deep breath and then turned the knob, pulling back the door to reveal a dripping wet, slightly steaming, male Ranma.

"Kasumi…I…" he began before being pulled into a tight hug. The hot tears from Kasumi's eyes soon joined the cooling water that dripped from Ranma's shirt.

"Oh Ranma…" She sobbed. Ranma cradled her smaller form and ushered her inside, closing the door behind him. Sitting her down on a couch in the living room, he pulled out a slightly damp facecloth and dabbed some of the tears from her face.

"I'm sorry, I came as soon as I heard. I- How are you holding up?"

"Oh Ranma, always so caring of others… I've been better, but not since a long time now." She reached over to a small box of tissues sitting on the side table. After blowing her nose, she continued. "I just don't know what to do with myself now…"

"Don't worry Kasumi! I'll stay with you until you get things on track again, I promise! I know you must miss Tatsuya and all…"

"Oh no…" she sniffed "It's not that. I…" She pause, and then in the barest whisper she spoke. "I'm so glad that it's over…"

"Eh-What?"

"I'm so sorry Ranma, but I haven't been…the most truthful with you when we met. Even now, as I'm free from him, I'm still afraid."

She then told him everything. She told him about their honeymoon, about the beatings, about the drinking, and about how he was the only light she could see in the last two dark years. Ranma took a moment to digest this information before cursing softly.

"I'm sorry Kasumi, I shoulda done something! I always thought something was wrong whenever I saw you, like the light in your eyes was gone, or dull or something, but God I'm sorry I wasn't there for you." Kasumi broke into more tears as Ranma gathered her into another hug.

"No Ranma, I'm sorry I never told you. I was just…just so afraid of what he'd do to me…"

"Don't worry Kasumi, he's gone now. That son of a bitch can't hurt you no more. I'm here and I won't let it happen again. I promise!" he said this as he looked her right in the eyes, the confidence in his words seeming to cut through Kasumi like a blade. So much was she affected by this that before she knew it, she was reaching out to take Ranma's face in her hands and kissing him softly on the lips. She felt him stiffen for a moment before relaxing in her arms and returning her affection. Breaking the kiss, she pulled him close again, whispering in his ear.

"Please. Please Ranma, stay with me tonight…" She took a shuddering breath. "I-Please fix the damage he has done…"

"Ok…"

"I don't want to be alone anymore…"


	2. Chapter 2

The Widow: Chapter 2

"I don't want to be alone anymore…"

As the two retreated further into the house, Ranma noted the darkness of the house, as every room had the lights turned off. He surmised that it was just due to the lateness of the hour, but as they went up the stairs, he discovered a lot of things were out of place. When they entered the master bedroom, alarm bells blared loudly in the front of Ranma's mind.

The place was a mess! Clothes littered the floor, the bedding was strewn about from the bed, and a smashed picture frame lay at the base of the far wall. Kasumi let out a small gasp, as if seeing the room for the first time.

"I- I'm sorry! I'll clean it up right away!" she spoke quietly and fearfully, her eyes moist and on the brink of tears. She began to move forward into the room when a hand softly held her in place. She turned and followed the hand back to Ranma, whose soft smile was contrasted by the mournful look in his eyes.

"It's ok Kasumi. You go get ready for bed. I'll clean things up in here."

"Oh no! I couldn't possibly-"

"Please Kasumi?" Ranma tried to pout cutely, but in his male form, it only came out looking comical.

"Ah…ok…"

"Just take a nice relaxing bath and you'll feel better in no time. I promise!" Ranma said with a warm, sincere smile. Kasumi felt her heart stir at the sight of it. She nodded slowly before slipping though the door to the bathroom that was connected to the room.

Ranma nodded once before turning to the mess before him.

"Right, let's get started!"

In the bathroom, Kasumi had just finished stripping off her day clothes and was now sitting on a bath stool, dousing herself with cold water. After shampooing her hair and scrubbing a bit, she moved towards the bath, stopping a step before the first stair.

Looking down into the steaming water that was slowly filling the bathtub, she tried to ward away the dark memories that the tiled surface brought forth. Without thinking, her eyes tracked directly to the dark stain in the tiling grout near the far left corner of the bath. It was from one of the many times Tatsuya had beat her after having his way with her in the bath. Drunk as usual, he ordered her to wash his back with her breasts. After he finished with her, he used a wet rolled up towel to whip her back and rear, causing many welts, a few of which bled freely into the water and staining the grout. Tatsuya just laughed and laughed.

The sound of water spilling over the tub walls and slapping onto the floor brought her back from the terrible echoing laughter of her haunted memory. Quickly turning off the tap, Kasumi became aware of how cold she was after standing wet and naked for an unknown amount of time and stepped into the bath.

Ranma waited about thirty minutes after he heard Kasumi enter the bath before knocking on the door.

"Kasumi? Are you alright in there?" There was a pause before he heard the slight splashing of water, indicating Kasumi's movements.

"Oh, sorry Ranma. I'll be out shortly…" came the soft reply.

After a few minutes, Kasumi came out of the bathroom clad in a conservative pair of lilac PJs and carrying her towel. Her skin had a slight tinge of red to it, a clear sign of her long stay in the hot waters of the bath.

"Sorry I took so long…" Ranma waved it off.

"Don't sweat it. I just got worried that you were in too long." He chuckled. "Don't want that wonderful figure of yours to wither away in the heat now do we?" He was rewarded with a rosy blush that rolled across Kasumi's soft cheeks.

"Ah! Ah…no…sorry…" She mumbled into her towel. Ranma laughed again and put a hand on her shoulder before moving into the bathroom.

"I'll be back in a flash!"

After a quick trip to the other side of the gender scale, Ranma sighed as she slid into the steaming waters of the bath; it's warmth returning him to his natural gender. As he soaked, many things flitted across his mind, almost all of them pertaining to Kasumi. He was at a loss as to how he would go about helping her recover from the two terrible years of abuse she suffered at the hands of that sick bastard. He was no stranger to abuse, this much was true, but Kasumi had been scarred on more than just the physical level. The things that that man must have done to her; he couldn't imagine in his darkest nightmares. Even as he thought this, he noticed the bloodstained tile grout in the bathtub. Fighting a tremendous urge to destroy the tiling with one swift bow, he settled for scraping away the stained plaster with his finger.

Rising from the waters, Ranma settled on the one course of action he was sure of. He would stay with her and give her constant support though out her healing, providing her with what ever she would need. Slipping on his clothes, minus his button up shirt, which he folded for the morning, he opened the bathroom door and stepped into the bedroom. Setting his shirt on the dresser, he turned to see Kasumi sitting on the side of the large king sized bed. She was shaking.

"Ah, I'll sleep here on the floor beside your bed, ok?"

"Ranma…" Kasumi began only to look away abashedly.

"Yeah Kasumi?"

"Please…please stay with me tonight…in m-my bed."

Any response Ranma was about to make died on his lips as Kasumi turned to look at him. Her sorrowful, haunted eyes seemed to reach out and seize his heart like the cold grip of Death Himself, causing his breath to catch and a lump to form in his throat. Swallowing dryly, Ranma nodded and mentally went over his vow with a silent fire of complete commitment.

Turning back into the bathroom, he removed his undershirt before turning on the sink faucet and splashing himself with a handful of cold water. Drying off her chest with a hand towel, Ranma put her undershirt back on and re-entered the bedroom.

"Thank you Ranma…so much…" Kasumi sniffed. Ranma nodded grimly and clambered under the covers with Kasumi. Reaching over to turn out the light, Ranma whispered softly to the older woman.

"Anything you need. Anything at all, I'll give you. I will always be here for you, ok Kasumi? Always."

Kasumi sniffed once more before turning and embracing Ranma's petite form.

Sorry for the wait guys! More to come, so just hang in there. I know this story is kinda gripping on the heart chords, but bear with me as it will get better.

Thanks for your wonderful reviews.

ClubCafé


	3. Chapter 3

ClubCafé presents

The Widow :: Chapter 3

The next morning brought a sunny day full of chirping birds and the normal cacophony of sounds that accompanied a growing day in Nerima, sounds that slowly brought Kasumi out of her slumber. Sitting up in her bed, she gently tucked the muss of bed hair away from her face and gradually became aware of her surroundings. Noticing the absence of Ranma, she thought back to the night before.

Ranma had held her the entire night, and Kasumi then realized that it was the first night in almost two years that she had slept peacefully. Just the realization that she could now sleep soundly at night, as long as Ranma kept his promise, brought a glimmer of hope into Kasumi's darkened world. Turning to get up and out of her bed, she paused when her eyes caught on a small finch resting on the windowsill. It was looking at her, cocking its head from side to side in curiosity, letting out small chirps every now and then. Kasumi saw this and gave it a small smile, whispering out a soft good morning. The finch chirped again before alighting from the sill, casting its wings to catch an unseen breeze to carry it upward and away.

Lightly slapping her cheeks, Kasumi rose out of bed and drifted towards the bathroom. As she passed the door to the bedroom, she caught the scent of breakfast being prepared, causing her to salivate slightly. She hadn't eaten very well in a while now, and the smell of a large, hot breakfast was very appealing. Vowing to hurry through her morning bath in order to eat some delicious food, Kasumi quickly disrobed and began to wash.

Meanwhile Ranma was busy in the house's small kitchen working on preparing a quality breakfast for Kasumi and himself to enjoy. After waking up early and gently disentangling himself from Kasumi's embrace, he had changed back into a man during his morning bath. That was at about six o'clock, and it was now around nine o'clock. He had done some light exercises after he woke up, mainly focusing on technique, and was now almost done cooking. Pausing to sample the Miso soup, Ranma's keen hearing picked up Kasumi moving around upstairs. Smiling, he began humming to himself, and continued until Kasumi walked in wearing a house robe with her hair still damp from the bath.

"Good morning!"

"Good morning Ranma-kun."

"How did you sleep?" Ranma asked as he turned the gas on the stove off. Kasumi paused in her step and tilted her head down a bit, as if shy of something. Bringing one hand to her face she chewed nervously on the sleeve of her robe. Ranma nearly dropped the ladle he was holding at the utter cute-ness of her pose. A healthy blush rose to his cheeks.

"Ah…it was great. I haven't slept like that in so long…sorry I made you wait."

"No no! It's fine, really. I'm glad that you slept well. You definitely needed it."

"Yes, thank you Ranma-kun."

"Well that's great! Now, how bout we sit down for some nice hot breakfast!"

Kasumi nodded and took a chair at the small table near the corner of the kitchen, neatly tucking her feet under the chair and folding her hand in her lap as she waited for Ranma to serve her. As he began dishing out portions, her mind drifted back to the Promise that he had made the night before. The words he spoke then were like a searing beacon in that cold stormy night, casting out its everlasting light to all those who had lost their way. True words spoken from a pure heart, Kasumi began to regret, not for the first time, ever having passed off Ranma and the Tendo engagement. She began to sway into a nice fantasy of her life with Ranma, something she had done a few times before, to try and escape from the world she was currently suffering in. She always saw Ranma as some sort of modern Knight in Shining armour, casting away all fear and doubt to say any girl who would befall peril, but to have him actually come to her rescue, becoming the manifestation of something she held deep inside was a thing that brought such warmth and hope to her that she couldn't stop the tears as they fell from her eyes down to the table top.

Ranma looked up from setting down some rice to see Kasumi silently shedding tears. A part of his brain quickly analyzed the table and surrounding area to see if something he did wrong had caused Kasumi to cry. Another part went into spasmodic shock and told his body to get in gear and go comfort her and find out why she was crying. His body devoutly listened.

"Oh Kasumi, what's wrong? Was it something I did? Please tell me, I'll make it up to you I swear!" his version of placating words poured out of his mouth as he gathered Kasumi into a hug. She sniffle a bit and wiped her eye before responding softly.

"No Ranma, it's not anything you did, well actually it is, but it's not because you did something wrong…"

"And I'll even beat myself- wait. What? Something I did right?"

"Yes. I was just so happy…that I…well…" Kasumi trailed off into her sleeve again, blushing as she thought of trying to portray her feelings about his words the night before. Ranma saw her obvious discomfort with the words she was trying to get out and gave her a gentle squeeze before letting go and moving to sit down at the other side of the table.

"It's ok Kasumi, you don't have to say anything you don't wanna. Let's just eat." Ranma smiled at her, earning a small smile from her as well.

As they ate, Ranma was busy thinking of a battle plan on how help Kasumi get better. One thing he knew for sure was that it was going to take a lot of time and hard work on his part, but he was prepared enough for that. He had enough money that he wouldn't need to get more anytime soon, but he had his volunteer work coming up at the end of the week. As he thought of that, an idea sparked in his head. He could take Kasumi to his volunteer job at the Children's Hospital. Being with those kids would surely help with her recovery, and from what he'd seen in the past when he used to live with the Tendo's, he knew that she already had a soft spot for kids. Setting that idea aside as a good usable one, Ranma then moved to the next thought he had about helping Kasumi out; teaching her some martial arts. Now he knew that it wouldn't be a good idea to launch someone who was recovering from a long bout of physical and mental abuse into a world of voluntary violence and striking, so he had to pick the right style if he wanted to do any good. A small list of styles came to the front of his mind that he thought were good for a beginner, and easy on the striking aspect, Judo, Hapkido, some toned down Aikido, or maybe some softer styles of Jujutsu. After some deliberation, Ranma decided to save that for a bit later, and moved on to the next idea, something he had been dwelling on greatly as he lay in bed last night. Looking towards Kasumi, he set down his chopsticks and took a breath.

"Kasumi, you need to move out of this house."

Apologies are needed. Stuff gets in the way, and this story ahs been in my mind for a while. With both jobs, I tend to lose track of time and what I'm doing, but hopefully I can churn out the rest of this story. Again, sorry for the wait.


	4. Chapter 4

­ClubCafé presents

The Widow :: Chapter 4

Kasumi's chopsticks paused halfway through their journey to her mouth. Her face took on a light look of confusion before she voiced her concern.

"Move out…of this house? What for?"

Ranma, whose brain had just caught up with what he had actually said, instead of what he thought he wanted to say, quickly amended his suggestion.

"Well what I mean is, that it would be good for you if you moved away from the place where most of your abuse took place. You know, like outta sight outta mind? But I mean, that's only if you want to."

Kasumi flinched at the word abuse, and seemed to mull over Ranma's suggestion for a bit, slowly chewing on her food.

"But where will I go, and what will I do with this house? It might take a while to sort that out…"

"Well there's room at my place if you don't mind, and this place would sell in no time!"

"I suppose…but I'm not sure…"

"Hey you don't have to do anything you don't want, it's just my opinion." Ranma gave her a warm smile. "I want you to know that you are your own free person, and you make your own decisions."

"Thank you Ranma, that means a lot to me."

After a comfortable pause in conversation, with the sound of breakfast filling the air, Kasumi looked to Ranma to pose a question.

"Do you think maybe I could see your place before I make a decision? I mean, if you don't mind of course…"

"Oh yeah of course! We could go today if you want, or do you have plans already."

"No, no plans… I don't make plans anymore…"

"Ah…well after you finish up, I'll clean up and we can head over to my place."

"That sounds ok, except I'll clean up. I can't let you do all the work around here." Kasumi said with a small but genuine smile. As small as it was though, it caught Ranma off guard to see one of Kasumi's gentle caring smiles once more. He could almost see the light slowly growing back in her soul, and was pleased that he had a part in it. Letting out a small cheerful laugh, he stood and gathered his plates.

"Heh, if you think you can get these before I get to the kitchen, then be my guest!" Ranma teased.

"Oh you! Don't think I won't try!" Kasumi said moving to block off the doorway.

"Here I'll even go easy on you. I'll only use my head to carry the plates."

"Hmph. And here I'd thought you'd gone and grown up."

Setting down the plates he was carrying on the table, Ranma swayed in mock anguish,

"Gasp! As if you would even think about it!"

The sound of stifled giggles made Ranma crack an eye open from below his hand that covered his face. As he glanced over to see Kasumi holding her sides as she giggled away, he felt his spirits soar at the sight of her in a good mood. Taking advantage of her position, he quickly grabbed all the dishes and darted past Kasumi and into the kitchen, grinning at her reaction.

"Hey! You cheated!"

"Haha! You know how it is Kasumi-chan! You snooze, you lose!"

After things had settled down a bit, Kasumi went to change into something more appropriate for going out in, rather than a nightgown. As she descended the stairs, she saw Ranma waiting by the door.

"Hey I kinda forgot to tell you. I roof-hopped all the way here, so I have to go back to my place to get my ride. I don't think it'd be appropriate to carry you all the way to my place." Ranma said with a sheepish grin.

Kasumi on the other hand was a bit disappointed that she had to miss out on one of her little fantasies, but it was true that it would be a little strange to be carrying a grown woman around in broad daylight. This wasn't Nerima anymore. One thing Ranma said caught her attention though.

"Ride? You have a vehicle? Since when?"

"Well a friend of mine kinda got me hooked on the whole thing, but I'll let you see for yourself when I come back. I shouldn't be more than ten minutes, tops."

"Ok Ranma, I'll see you in a bit then."

"Yup, Ja!" Ranma said as he shut the door to her house.

To help pass the time, Kasumi made up a small pot of tea, poured a cup for herself, then put the rest into a thermos. By the time she had finished nearly ten minutes had passed.

As Kasumi headed back into the main room, she could hear the rising exaust note of an oncoming vehicle. She couldn't place it but she knew she'd heard it before. It almost seemed to high pitched to be a car though. As she opened the door she saw a man pull up on a sleek black motorcycle. Looking closely at the rider, she saw a small pigtail poking out of the back of his helmet. It was Ranma! This was confirmed as he took off his helmet and smiled boyishly at her.

"Oh my Ranma, I didn't know you liked motorcycles…" Kasumi said as she took in his machine. She didn't know a whole lot about motorcycles, except for that they were fast and sometimes dangerous. The black paint shone in the midday sun, accented by a bright red stripe down the center of the tank, and the letters 'GSX-400' stood out clearly on the side of the tank. A large round headlight adorned the front, and lowered handlebars capped off the whole image.

"Bosozoku…?" Kasumi mumbled to herself.

"Hey! I'm not one of those street punks!"

"Ah! Sorry Ranma! I didn't mean it! It was just the first thing I though of when I saw this."

Ranma laughed it off.

"Haha, I know. I was only joking. Anyways, here's a jacket and a helmet. Do you know how to put one on?"

"I think so, just help me if I'm doing it wrong."

As Kasumi strapped on her helmet, she looked at the bike a bit apprehensively, and Ranma seemed to catch on.

"If you don't want to ride, that's ok Kasumi. We can just take a cab or something."

"No no it's fine! I've just never rode a motorcycle before. Not even a scooter."

"Well don't worry then! It's really easy! Just climb on the back behind me here."

As Kasumi climbed on, she instinctually gripped Ranma around the waist with her arms and knees.

"And just do that! I won't go very fast, so just hang on and enjoy the ride!"

Kasumi nodded and seemed to relax a little bit as Ranma put on his helmet and started the bike back up. As he revved the engine a couple times, Kasumi noted that the sound of the engine sounded a bit different than most of the bikes she'd heard. It's note had a rich tone that didn't break or waver, and quickly scaled down when Ranma let off the throttle. Figuring it was he lack of knowledge with bikes or mechanics in general, Kasumi tightened her grip as Ranma slowly rolled out onto the street and accelerated smoothly down the road. Soon though, all her thoughts became occupied with the feeling of almost soaring over the pavement as she, Ranma, and the machine glided through the slight traffic of the afternoon.

So yeah…a few notes. The bike Ranma rides is an 86 Suzuki GSX-400. While this may seem small compared to North American bikes, it's actually the most popular class in Japan, due to the fact that you really don't need much power beyond that on the roads they are blessed with. If you've seen Initial D, you know what I'm talking about. Consecutive hairpins, and tight rolling corners mean you don't want to have a lot of engine weight to slow you down. A nice balance of power and weight it where the 250 – 400cc class excels. Also, the term Bosozoku. Google it, or Wiki it. It's kinda funny. You see them in manga a lot. Basically a biker punk.

And yeah…sorry for the dead-ness. I'm just rambling around in life right now lol. Luckily I have my laptop.

Thanks guys.


	5. Chapter 5

-ClubCafé presents

­ClubCafé presents

The Widow : Chapter 5

As Ranma guided the motorcycle down a gradual decline in the road that swept beautifully across the side of a mountain, Kasumi marvelled at the wonderful scenery that was presented to her from her perch on the back of Ranma's machine. The outskirts of the small prefecture she lived in crept by below them as the gentle turns of the mountain pass eased through the valley. The ocean glistened in the midday sun, peeking through the mountains on the horizon. Kasumi felt her soul clench in wonderment from witnessing such beauty. The fact that such marvellous scenery was only a short trip from her or Ranma's home sent a tingling rush of excitement down the center of her spine. After a moment though, the tingling kept growing, but seemed to stem from a different location. Realization of what was happening soon dawned on her as Ranma twisted the throttle and pushed the bike around a corner. As they broke the apex of the turn Kasumi let out a stifled gasp and clutched Ranma tighter. Ranma quickly focused on Kasumi and noted the change in her aura.

"Oops…" Ranma mumbled "forgot about that."

Pulling his bike onto the shoulder in a clearly visible spot, he shifted into neutral and thumbed the killswitch, turning off the engine. Setting the bike on the sidestand, Ranma turned his body so he could see how Kasumi was doing. Taking off his helmet, he saw Kasumi flip up her visor which had fogged up slightly.

"Sorry about that Kasumi, I completely forgot that that can happen with girls when they ride…" Ranma stumbled, fiddling with the strap on his helmet, embarrassed about what they were discussing.

"Ah, no…it's alright." Kasumi stuttered, still coming down from her flustered state. 'That hasn't happened in a long time…' she thought.

"You think you're ok to ride the rest of the way? It's only like two minutes from here…" Ranma hedged.

"Oh I'll be fine, Ranma. I'm a grown woman. It just caught me off guard." Kasumi assured him with a smile. Ranma nodded and began to put his helmet back on, trying to clear his mind of the image of a leather-clad, biker Kasumi who had just climaxed.

'You're really not helping here…' he thought to himself.

As Kasumi climbed back on the bike, she took a moment to absorb what had happened and gazed around at her surroundings. While things were still in a state of disarray in her life, she knew one thing for certain; she very much liked motorcycles.

--

When they pulled up the Ranma's apartment a short ride later, Kasumi noted how quiet everything was, and how peaceful the area seemed, which was a very odd state for things to be in, considering Ranma was living there. Ranma seemed to clue in on this as he noticed her surprise.

"Yeah things aren't the way they used to be, that's for sure. I mean, there's still people around who are out to beat me an' stuff, but it's much more of a competition kinda thing, rather than 'I'm out to kill you cause your old man did something stupid', ya know?"

Ranma seemed to grow distant as he obviously drifted back through his memories.

"Much more controlled…"

Kasumi watched him as he gazed at nothing but the past, as she too had done many times before.

"You miss it, don't you?"

"Feh, a little. Those constant challenges and surprises…that chaos…" Ranma took his helmet and fastened it to the side of his motorcycle. "That's how I got to be so good, how I learned. I had to, to stay on top. To survive." Ranma turned to Kasumi, his confident grin returning to his features. "But that's all the past. I wouldn't trade what I have no for nothing."

Kasumi couldn't help but smile as well.

"And besides! I'm still the best!"

Kasumi giggled as he strode towards the staircase adorning the side of his apartment complex.

"Still hefting that slight ego, I see."

"Who me?" Ranma grinned. "Naah!"

"Yes you!" Kasumi softly punched him in the shoulder as she caught up with him at the stairs. "By the way…"

"Mm?"

"How come you happened to have a women's jacket and helmet on hand?"

"Uh, hello? Still cursed you know." Ranma winked.

"Oh…well. That makes sense…"

"Hehe, that and I do get a few girls on the back of that thing quite a bit." Ranma admitted with a sly grin.

"Ah I thought so! It wouldn't be right if you weren't being pursued by girls anymore." Kasumi teased with a smile.

Ranma was bouncing with happiness on the inside. The playful banter and teasing they had often shared before Kasumi was married had returned, their friendship resuming as if it had only been a couple days between the last visit, and not a couple years. Hoping that the mood would continue the way it had been going, Ranma pulled his keys from his pocket as they stopped in front of his door.

"Heh, yeah. Anyways, this is my place here." Kasumi read the worn numbers on the door '205' and saw the name plate actually read 'Saotome' instead of some alias. As Ranma opened the door, he moved to the side to let Kasumi enter first before following and turning on the lights.

"Welcome to chateaux Ranma!"

It was a modest 2LK complete with a balcony. The living room was small but cozy, and the kitchen was moderately sized. Two old but comfortable looking leather couches sat in front of a small flat screen television and Kasumi could see a decent looking bathroom at the end of the hallway. A couple posters showing a few motorcycles and an old martial arts movie adorned the walls, and there were some small house plants in the corners of the living room.

"Oh my, what a lovely place Ranma! Who lives in the other bedroom?"

"Well I used to have a roommate, but he moved out a while ago. Well, you remember Dai, don't you? Daisuke, one of my buds from high school?"

"Oh yes I remember him, Did he ever get together with Akane's friend Yuka?"

"Ah for a little bit, but anyways, me and him roomed together for a while. He was the one who actually got me started on bikes. In turn, I taught him some martial arts. He's off with Hiroshi, our other buddy we hung out with. His dad owns a paper business over in Osaka and he wants Hiroshi to take over, so Dai went out an helped him out with it."

"I see, well that's good for him and Hiroshi. Isn't it expensive by yourself though?"

"Meh a little bit, but not as bad as you'd think. The rent's only eighty five thousand a month."

"Oh my, that's pretty cheap!"

"Yeah, the landlord cut me a deal cause I help out alla' time at the children's hospital. See one of his kids has Leukemia, so she has to be there a lot."

"Oh the poor girl…"

"Yeah it sucks, but Mika's tons of fun. She loves to ride around on my shoulders an' stuff while I jump around. All the kids there are great really. Hey I know! You can come with me and meet her when I go in sometime! You can meet all the kids!" Ranma said with excitement.

"That sounds fun. Which days do you volunteer?"

"Well I usually go Monday, Thursday and Saturday, but sometimes I just drop in."

"Ok, since it's Tuesday today, then we can go Thursday. Will we be going on your motorcycle?" Kasumi said with a hint of anticipation.

"Yeah sure, if you want to." Ranma was a bit surprised, as he thought their little experience before had soured Kasumi on the whole motorcycle thing, but he was apparently wrong.

"Yes, I would, if you don't mind taking me again…"

"Haha yeah no problem! Like I could say no to you." Ranma said with a smile, to which Kasumi blushed a but. "Anyway, lemme show you around."

"Alright, lead the way."

--

Author's Notes:

Wow, this story spans nearly two years…with only 5 chapters Anywho, I'd had this one written down for a while (on real paper n' stuff!) but had forgotten about it until someone had StoryAlerted this. I will definitely be writing more as soon as I can, so don't kill me just yet ;) I'm back home now, so I have better computer access, but my working life is still as random as ever. At least I'm not rambling about as much now. Times are still tough, but definitely looking up.

Thanks for sticking it out with me guys, it means a lot!


	6. Chapter 6

-ClubCafé presents

­ClubCafé presents

The Widow : Chapter 6

--

After Ranma had shown Kasumi the rest of his apartment, he went about making a light snack for the both of them. As he was in the kitchen preparing things, Kasumi sat down on one of the large couches in the living room and scanned the room until her eyes fell upon a small photo album laying on the center table. Picking it up she flipped it open to the beginning and looked at the first picture encased in its plastic sleeve.

It was a very tasteful picture of Ranma's mother while she was preparing something in the kitchen. The sunlight was filtering through a small window in the room, casting a few golden rays lazily over her shoulder as an out of focus toddler Ranma crawled about in front of the focal point. All in all it worked out to be a very nice shot, easily taking the viewer into what seemed like a simple time for a small family. Kasumi was pondering on the possibility of Genma being a hobbyist photographer when Ranma set down a small tray of onigiri and some tea on the table.

"Thank you Ranma, they look very tasty!" Kasumi said picking up one of the small packed rice snacks.

"You're welcome, they're not as good as yours obviously, but they do the trick." Ranma finished with a wink.

After taking a few bites, Kasumi looked back at the photo album and then to Ranma.

"I didn't know your father liked photography…"

"Heh man hard to tell huh? Yeah Pops loved to take pictures. He still does! You don't see him doing it often though, but I've seen him sneak off to the park sometimes with his old relic of a camera he treasures. Don't tell anyone though!" Ranma laughed.

After another pause, Kasumi ventured another question.

"Do you still keep in touch with your parents?"

"Oh yeah, all the time. Mom's always having me over for dinner and stuff, or just to talk and hang out, which is cool, and Pop likes to drop in for a spar once or twice a week. Sometimes we even go to a baseball game. That's pretty fun. You should see him, he gets so excited watching the guys pitch the ball."

"Your father likes baseball too?"

"Tell me about it. He used to prattle on about martial arts being everything there is to life, but I've seen his secret collection of baseball cards and stuff. He doesn't have too many, but he's got some really rare ones. What cooked my noodle was how he's had these things for so long and not even thunk about selling them. Hell he didn't even steal them. Got most of them when he was a kid, either from his Pop or buying them."

"Wow I would have never guessed." Kasumi sat in slight awe after having a small bit of Genma's past revealed.

"Yeah I think it's kinda cool, that he's got something like baseball and picture taking as his hobbies. Makes him seem like more of a dad you know? I mean, when we were on the road, we didn't have too much time or money for anything other than martial arts, but on my birthday every year, he would always make sure we were in a city so we could catch a ball game." Ranma smiled wistfully at the fond memories of his father and the times past.

After looking at a few more photos and delving into the past some more, Ranma was drawn out of his nostalgia by a yawning Kasumi. Glancing up at the clock, he noted that it was beginning to get late.

"Hmm getting kinda late. Sorry about that, I didn't think we'd be visiting the past for so long. I can take you home if you'd like, or you can stay here in the spare room, it's up to you?"

"Well if you wouldn't mind me imposing on you, I'd like to spend the night if possible."

"Yeah sure no problem. Lemme get a futon out for you. You can take a bath if you want, my tub's not huge or nothing, but it's nice to have. There's also a shower if you feel like it."

"Thank you Ranma I believe I will have a bath."

"Alright then, just straight down the hall."

After setting up a futon for Kasumi, Ranma made sure everything was ok before heading to the bathroom. Knocking on the door he cast his voice into the door.

"Your room's already, I'ma just hit the sack right now, ok?"

"Sounds good Ranma, goodnight!" Kasumi's voice echoed off the tiles of the bathroom.

"Goodnight Kasumi."

The Next Day

After bringing Kasumi back to her house, which Kasumi had enjoyed quite thoroughly, Ranma told Kasumi that he had a bunch of errands to run that day so she'd be mostly on her own.

"If you need anything though, you can call my cell." Pulling out a small card from his wallet, Ranma handed what appeared to be just his name and number in metallic blue script on a black card. Kasumi flipped it over once before putting it into her handbag.

"I wouldn't have thought you would have a cell phone Ranma. Heck, I don't have a cell phone…"

"Well technology's pretty cool you know? I'm just happy that I got my father to use the phone instead of just showing up at my place and waiting around forever cause I'm at work or something."

"Yes that would be convenient." Kasumi paused before looking at him funny. "So why do you have cards made up with just your name and number on them. Fancy cards too."

Ranma laughed and scratched the back of his neck in a sheepish sort of way.

"Haha well…you know…"

"Indeed I do. The Saotome charm at work no doubt." Kasumi said with a small punch to his arm as she turned to enter her home. Turning back to face him when she reached the door, she gave him a playful wink. "Well then, Ranma's phone number get!" With that she closed the door at a laughing Ranma.

Later That Day

It was early in the evening and Ranma had finished most of his errands when he felt the short vibrating pattern from his phone indicating him of a text message. Pulling into the parking lot of a convenience store he pulled out his mobile phone and flipped up his visor to read the screen better. Keying in a quick reply and sending it off, he then pocketed the phone, flipped his visor back down and set off for the meeting place outlined in the message.

After some short city riding, Ranma pulled into a familiar empty lot. Flipping the killswitch off on his bike, he took off his helmet and scanned the lot until his eyes fell on the gigantic travel backpack partially hidden behind a tree. Suddenly his danger sense wet off and he flipped himself backwards and held himself over his bike in a handstand, narrowly dodging a large blur that impacted the ground from above. Hardly waiting for the dust plume to settle, Ranma launched a kick straight into the dark form in the center of the haze, only to meet a solid resistance.

"Dammit Ryoga, what'd I tell you about making craters around my bike! You could have chipped the paint!"

A small breeze began to clear the dust away from the form of a grinning Ryoga, crouching low while his arms were crossed in front of him, holding off Ranma's kick.

"Aw quit your whining you big baby."

Ranma grinned as he lifted his foot from Ryoga's guard and rolled out of his handstand and placed his feet back on the ground. Ryoga uncrossed his arms and stood up into a firm stance. The two stared at each other before breaking out in huge grins. Launching forward the two clasped arms and patted each other on the shoulders.

"Long time no see buddy!" Ranma yelled out in happiness, eagerly shaking his friend's hand.

"Likewise! How are things for you? Staying out of trouble?"

"Haha you know me!"

"I do, trouble it is then." Ryoga grinned. "You got here quick! Were you close by?"

"Well not far. How is your mobile doing? Not broken I take it?"

"Yeah it's doing great! Thing's almost as sturdy as I am!"

"Haha I doubt that, but good to hear! I can't believe they made that thing for you…"

"Yeah, gotta love custom orders though." Ryoga laughed, pulling out a small yet bulky device that looked like a handheld computer.

"Man it still gets me laughing every time I hear that thing giving you directions! Turn right! No, your other right idiot!"

"Yeah you should hear it when I gets mad! I'm glad it's a female voice, otherwise I'd probably smash the thing!"

After they both shared a laugh, Ryoga put away his GPS mobile phone device and retrieved his backpack.

"So what do you feel like tonight? Sushi? Tempura? Sukiyaki?" Ryoga asked.

"I'm dying fro some teriyaki chicken right now!"

"Damn that sounds good. I'm down for sure."

"Great! I know this place near my house, great food, cheap booze and cute waitresses!"

"You're speaking my language buddy! Lead the way!"

"Well I gotta drop my bike off at my place, so I'll meet you there. You still got it saved in your GPS?"

"Course! I'll meet you there."

"Sounds good."

Later On at the Imperial Garden Restaurant

Laughter and cheers were abound in the small restaurant as Ranma and Ryoga performed tricks and jokes for the waitresses and patrons dining there. Most of the staff and locals knew Ranma and enjoyed the entertainment he and his friend brought. They clapped as Ranma balanced many of the table items and Ryoga juggled more and more items into the mix. Ranma even pulled out his rice teleportation trick, where he would transfer a bowl of rice grain by grain to another bowl so fast, people would think it was magic.

After settling down a bit and ordering more food, Ranma and Ryoga sat down at their table while a couple of waitresses on break flirted with them.

"Careful now Miyuki-chan, if you keep hanging off Ryoga there, your patrons are going to think this is a host club!" Ranma cheered, setting off a round of laughter from the table.

"Nnn you're mean Ranma-kun!" the waitress Miyuki playfully pouted. "Besides, Ryoga-kun is sooo strong!" she said while snuggling up against Ryoga's arm a bit more. Ryoga blushed a bit while laughing at her antics.

"Indeed he is!" Ranma said with a wink. Pouring everyone a round of sake, Ranma set the bottle down and cast a sly glance at Ryoga. "It's good to see you socialising with the girls after what happened back in Nerima."

A small shadow passed over Ryoga's features briefly before he shook it off.

"Yeah, it was for the best really. I'm glad things turned out the way they did. Even if I couldn't see it at the time."

Ranma chuckled and nodded.

"Yeah I'm glad I got out of that shithole. Away from that mess."

"Away from her."

Ranma just nodded. After a serious pause Ryoga lifted his cup to Ranma who grinned and did the same. The two waitresses who were quiet during the serious talk smiled and raised their cups as well.

"Well then here's to the good old days." Ryoga toasted with a wry grin.

"Heh, yeah. The good old days." They all raised their glasses and touched them together before slamming them back onto the table.

"Kampai!"

--

Author's Notes:

Well not much to say here, another update so hooray! I've got most of the next chapter sketched out, so there shouldn't be a huge delay or anything. I'm trying to put more detail into things, so that'll hopefully mean longer chapters. The next chapter is going to be a bit dark, so just a heads up.

Again, thanks for sticking around with me through this. :)


	7. Chapter 7 Part 1

I know two years is a long time, and most people probably thought it was dead, but I've always been thinking about it.

Anywho, here's the first bit.

ClubCafé presents

The Widow :: Chapter 7

Ranma woke the next morning free of a hangover, but feeling incredibly hungry, which in itself was not abnormal. Chuckling at the thought of marketing a martial artist metabolism program, he began digging through his fridge, pulling out ingredients for his breakfast. Setting a few things out on the counter, and the rest on the stove, he was about to pull out a bowl when he saw his mobile on next to the microwave, the message light blinking slowly, indicating a new voice message. Pulling out a medium sized bowl and placing the rest of his breakfast ingredients in it, he walked over and keyed into the voice mail menu. After entering his password, he held the device to his ear and waited for the message to play. After a short pause he was greeted by the voice of Nabiki Tendo.

"Ranma-kun, hey it's Nabiki. Long time, right? Anyways, I got some vacation time this week and was wondering if it'd be ok to drop by, you know, see how things are going? Kasumi's told me a little but about what's been up lately, and I'd like to thank you. Anyways, gimme a call whenever you get this. Bye bye!"

After deleting he message, Ranma made a mental note to call Nabiki after breakfast. It had been about six months since he last saw the second Tendo daughter, during Christmas break. It had been a fluke meeting, but had turned out a lot better than he would have thought. They were both shopping for gifts in Akihabara, much to Nabiki's chagrin, when they crossed paths while looking at mobile phones. His had broken during a street fight and Nabiki just wanted a newer model. He hadn't recognized her at all, but she had jumped nearly a meter into the air, yelling his name and pointing. She had changed her look completely. Her hair was now long and she wore stylish glasses, which she said she now needed after burning out her eyes studying to get into Todai. It gave her a very business woman look which he had commented on, saying it looked quite good. They both shared at laugh when she brought up the fact that he had a mobile and the both of them traded contact information afterwards.

Smiling at the memories, Ranma cleaned up after his meal and put everything away before finding Nabiki's number in is contact list. The dial tone sounded twice before he heard Nabiki's voice.

"Ranma! Good to hear from you so quickly! How are you?"

"Great, yourself?"

"Excellent now that I'm on vacation!" Nabiki said with a smile clear in her voice.

"That's good to hear. What're you up to then?"

"Well, right now I'm shopping…"

"Haha why am I not surprised."

"Yeah yeah, anyways, I'm fairly close to your place, so would it be alright if I swung by today?"

"Yeah sure, as long as we're done before two. I'm volunteering at the hospital today."

"Oh ho volunteer work! Didn't think it was in you Ranma-kun."

"Well things change you know."

"That they do. Two is perfect though, I was thinking we could do lunch at that Italian spot I saw by your place."

"On me of course?" Ranma said with an accusing grin.

"Don't be silly, I'm dragging you out, so it's my treat."

"Seriously?"

"Don't be like that Ranma-kun, things change you know." The playfulness of her voice was easily picked up.

"That they do. What time should I expect you?"

"How's eleven thirty sound?"

"Sounds good, I'll see you then."

"Great, talk to you then!"

"Bye Nabiki."

As Ranma and Nabiki walked into the Bel Fiore, one of his favourite Italian restaurants, not just because it was close, he was pleased to see the owner, Marcel, recognize him and moved to meet them.

"Ranma, how good to see you! I see you've brought another lovely lady friend with you today!" turning to Nabiki, he took her hand and kissed it before winking and introducing himself. "Marcel Ramazzotti, at your service, mia bellezza."

Marcel was a young immigrant from Italy who came to Japan to open a branch of his family's restaurant. While not as entirely successful as any of his father's or brothers' stores in Italy and America, he enjoyed a steadily growing customer base and local popularity.

"My my, how charming! Tendo, Nabiki. Nice to meet you."

"Yes, the pleasure is all mine. Now let me get you two to a table. Come!"

The pair followed the owner and head chef to a small table in the front corner of the building, next to a window. A classic red and white cloth adorned the table and two comfortable looking wooden chairs awaited them. Marcel pulled out the closest for Nabiki while Ranma tended to his own. As they sat down, Marcel handed them two menus and poured some ice water into the glasses from a pitcher he had picked up along the way. Quickly and efficiently finishing the task, all without spilling a drop, Marcel then took the pitcher back to the hosting podium and dashed into the kitchen. The door had barely closed before he hustled out holding a large basket of bread and a plate of butter. Placing it between the two of them he then took a step back and clasped his hands in front of his chest, positively beaming and bouncing lightly on the balls of his feet.

"So my friend, how have you been?" Marcel said, turning the sunshine smile towards Ranma, who returned the gesture with a smile of his own.

"Doing great, actually! Although not as good as you it would seem, what's got you so excited?"

"Yes, teeming with joy doesn't even cover it!" Nabiki quipped playfully.

"Oh am I that easy to read?" Marcel chuckled gleefully and all but vibrated in place. Ranma chuckled at his antics while Nabiki was completely enthralled by his exuberance. Placing his hands on the table, Marcel leaned in and whispered conspiratorially "I am going on a date tonight!"

"That's great! Who's the lucky gal?" Ranma exclaimed, giving him a friendly pat on the shoulder. Nabiki nodded as well, caught up in the scene.

"Her name is Noriko, and we met at a group date our mutual friend Ryoma put on! Oh we sang karaoke all night and at the end!" Marcel paused to swoon "She gave me her number and e-mail and said to contact her anytime!" Falling back into a regular standing position, Marcel fluttered for a moment before turning to Nabiki. "I'm so excited!"

Laughing, Nabiki could only nod in agreement. Ranma shook his head with a large smile on his face.

"Ha! That playboy Ryoma sure knows how to set people up! Well I wish you the best tonight then! Where are you guys going?"

"Well she doesn't know about this place yet, I will surprise her with that later, but I was thinking of going to the new Garies in the shopping promenade down town."

"Oh that will go great! I've been there before and I loved it!" Nabiki said encouragingly. "They've got a great menu and an excellent wine selection."

"Ah ha! Well speaking of menus and wine, what can I start you off with?" Marcel said happily, clasping his hands in front of him once more.

After ordering and receiving their meals, Ranma and Nabiki whittled away the time with stories and idle chatting, bringing each other up to speed on the recent events in their lives. Nabiki went on about how dull her love life had been and lamented on how her studies had not let her enjoy the 'college life' she so desperately yearned for, to which Ranma laughed at.

"Seriously Ranma-kun, I'm a woman of social grace and beauty! I need to spread my wings and glide on the gentle updrafts of high society!" Nabiki posed dramatically for emphasis, hand on her forehead, eyes closed to the ceiling. Rolling his eyes, Ranma reached for another breadstick before adding his opinion.

"I would hardly call frat parties and beer bongs the gentle updrafts of high society. Well, you'd be high alright."

Nabiki cast a sideways glance at Ranma before breaking her pose and giving into a playful pout.

"Oh you're such a buzzkill! Let a girl dream!" Taking a sip from her wine, Nabiki gestured grandly with her free hand. "Besides! As long as I'm getting laid I'm happy with whatever."

Practically choking on his bread, Ranma swallowed before glaring balefully at Nabiki's audacious claim.

"The truth comes out! Tendo Nabiki, the party animal! Are you really that strung up for a date?"

Nabiki sniffed disdainfully before holding her glass in front of her face.

"Damn men are all scared of my brains. I mean can you believe it? Come on! It's the twenty first century here! Women are doing the same things as men now, grow a pair already!" Setting down her glass in a huff, Nabiki crossed her arms before continuing. "Is is so much to ask for a nice guy to come up and ask for a dance?"

"What about turning the tables and asking a guy out? It's the twenty first century, is it not?" Ranma grinned.

"Oh don't you get all smart with me! That just intimidates them further!" she sighed. "Why can't more guys be like you or Ryoga? Too stupid to be scared or intimidated."

"Gee thanks." Ranma stated dryly. There was a pause before Ranma broke the mood with a hard look. "Nabiki, there's something I need to talk to you about."

Nabiki looked at Ranma directly before looking away. Taking off her glasses and folding them neatly into a small case, she sighed deeply before casting her eyes at the tableware.

"I know." she said in a small voice. "It's about Kasumi."

There was another pause, this one much longer. Ranma thought she was going to say more, but Nabiki remained silent, only the distance sounds of traffic and the occasional clatter of cutlery filling the heavy air. Just when he thought he would have to press her for some sort of response, he was shocked to see her start to cry instead.

"I was so lost Ranma. Just so...lost." Grabbing a napkin, Nabiki tried to muffle a sob. Out of the corner of his eye, Ranma saw Marcel come out of the kitchen only to do an abrupt about-face, an awkward look on his face. He turned back to Nabiki to see her gather herself up to speak again.

"It was the first time since Mother when I had absolutely no idea what to do! Everywhere I turned was met with dead ends. I tried everyone, Father, the Police, hell I even tried the Yakuza!"

Nabiki's admission about going to grimier means of assistance sent a cold chill down Ranma's spine.

"But the answer was always the same. 'Go somewhere else'. He was untouchable. Out of reach. My usual roads of information and networking meant nothing there! I was nothing but a mere child walking the streets filled with lumbering giants. It was all I could do but not get crushed in their footfalls."

Ranma reached across the table to take hold of Nabiki's hand. Giving it a gentle but reassuring squeeze he captured her eyes.

"I understand that, and their ain't a doubt in my mind that you did everything you could, aside from calling me up, but I wasn't exactly easy to reach."

Nabiki sniffled and gave a soft smile.

"The question I hafta ask is why didn't you do anything afterwards? Why'd you leave her alone with those horrible memories?"

At these words the smile left her face and she lowered her head, unable to meet Ranma's gaze. After what seemed like an eternity, Nabiki looked up again, fresh tears in her eyes.

"Cuz I was scared! I'm a coward! I'm not like you, Ranma! I'm just a normal girl! I can't face down demons, or jump over buildings, or stand up against unbeatable odds. I couldn't face her after seeing her go through all that! To show up, and expect things to be better all of a sudden? I mean let's face it, when that son of a bitch died, it was the best possible outcome. At least Kasumi got a good chunk of land and some money. Getting Daddy to ensure that her name was on the records and will was one of the only smart things I did in that whole ordeal."

Ranma nodded for her to continue.

"But even though I know it's the right thing to do, I just can't bring myself to face her. I can hardly talk to her over the phone as it is. I need a bit more time to build up the courage to see her again. Daddy does too. I hear him practicing talking to her picture some nights. We will soon, but we need to borrow your back for awhile again, it seems."

Gulping own the rest of her wine and wiping her eyes with her napkin, Nabiki's look turned sour.

"And you know how my other sister is, she still thinks this whole thing is your fault, that you somehow set the whole thing up. Gods I don't know if she'll ever come around and face the truth."

Nabiki then turned her hand over and captured Ranma's.

"So until this cowardly woman can finally get her shit together enough to do the right thing, please keep helping our Kasumi get better. You're the best thing in the world for her right now, I hope you know that. That giant heart of gold you got thumping away in that idiot chest of yours could cure cancer, I'm sure of it."

Ranma chuckled and squeezed her hand again.

"God I wish I picked you instead of foisting you off on my other sister." Nabiki sniffed slightly before cracking a wry, sad smile. "Ah well, of future's held in past's regret and all that."

On some unspoken cue, the two stood up and got ready to leave. Nabiki wiped her eyes once more before being caught in a surprise hug from Ranma. Giving in, she immediately buried her head in his chest and cried again in earnest. Stroking her hair, Ranma cast a glance to the kitchen door, where his eyes met Marcel's, who's face held a thin smile of understanding.


	8. Chapter 7 Part 2

ClubCafé presents:

The Widow - Chapter 7 Part 2

After the two of them paid for the meal and left the restaurant, Ranma walked along side Nabiki to the nearest train station so she could catch a ride back to her dorm. The walk was bereft of any conversation as neither wanted to break the comfortable silence that had fallen over them. As the lunch rush was just starting to settle down, the station was not terribly busy, but still filled with enough human traffic to fill the air with the unmistakable sounds of humanity. As the pair approached the gates leading into the platform, Nabiki turned to Ranma and gave a sad smile.

"Thanks again, Ranma. I'm really glad we got out together today."

Ranma just shrugged nonchalantly and dismissed the comment with a wave of his hand.

"C'mon Nabs, you know you've always got my number. Anytime you wanna hang out or just hit the town, let me know."

Nabiki's sad smile turned upwards at his words and she couldn't help but grab him in a hug once again.

"Alright you got it you big lug." she squeezed him once more before pushing herself back to arms length. "Now all I need from you is to make a move on Kasumi and we'll be set. She likes you, you know. Don't worry, you've got Daddy's and my approval."

Ranma made a strange gurgling noise and seemed to stiffen at her words.

"Guh...ah..." was his eloquent response, which only made Nabiki chuckle.

"As articulate as always Ranma baby."

Separating from him, she went up to the gate and swiped her transit pass in the card reader. After it beeped and displayed her zone fare on the small screen, the gate opened and she stepped through. As it closed behind her, she turned back to Ranma.

"Listen, just go for it ok? If you don't, I'm not sure if I can hold back any longer." And with that she was gone, merging into the steady throng of commuters. Ranma sighed and shook his head with a wry grin.

"You just never stop piling it on, do you Nabs?"

Glancing at a clock on the wall, Ranma cursed as he took notice of the time. It was almost one thirty, leaving him only half an hour to get back to his home and get his stuff ready for his volunteer work at the hospital. Normally this wouldn't have really posed a problem, as he wasn't that far from his home. The thing was he didn't want to draw too much attention to himself roof hopping home right before visiting the hospital, as it might attract the type of people that only communicated through physical acts of violence. Taking off in the direction of his home, he mentally thought out a few routes he could use that had some back alleys he could up his speed in, and picked the one he remembered as having the least road intersections. Deciding on his path, he upped his speed slightly and set off.

Having made it home with some time to spare, Ranma had no problems making to the hospital on time and ready for his volunteer shift. The afternoon passed by without much notice as he went about his usual routine of helping out the orderlies and entertaining the sick children. A particularly entertaining moment in the afternoon stood out to him as he recalled how one of the girls wanted to give a love letter to one of boys and asked Ranma to deliver it for her. Ranma mad a big production out of it stating that the boy had to prove his worth and defeat him in virtual combat before he would relinquish the letter to the boy. They had played battle Tetris until Ranma lost to the boy in level twelve. The boy claimed his letter and danced in the sweet moment of victory. After leaving the kids to their own for a while, one of the nurses approached Ranma and asked if he lost on purpose.

"Who me? Never!" Ranma replied with his usual, horrid poker face. The nurse just smiled cutely and rolled her eyes.

"Of cooooourse not. But the invincible Ranma Saotome never loses!" she joked as she poked him in the side as she giggled.

"Hey now, have you played Tetris on level twelve? It's pretty darn hard! Gimme a break here!" Ranma proclaimed, gesticulating with false indignation, hamming it up for the pretty nurse.

"Well maybe I'll have to take you on sometime and find out, hmm?" she smiled slyly at him. He just smiled and winked as he turned down the hallway.

"We'll see."

All in all a fairly normal day at the hospital for him. After mulling around his apartment for a short while, Ranma decided that after some dinner he would call Kasumi to see how she was doing and what she was up to that evening. Digging through his fridge, he pulled out some ingredients for a quick meat dish and some leftover noodles before moving over to the rice cooked to start the rice. After making sure the timer was set correctly, he continued on to the stove and pulled out a medium sized frying pan. After lighting the burner and leaving the pan to heat up, he began the task of slicing up the meat. As he worked he began humming to himself, quietly at first, but then began to pick up in volume. After a few minutes of just humming he broke out singing, belting out a rock tune that was stuck in his head, his voice carrying throughout his empty apartment. Soon everything was cooking and Ranma went over to and turned his stereo on.

"Better than me trying to pull off some Paul Stanley..." he mumbled as he put in a KISS cd. Soon the thumping sounds of Rock filled the air and Ranma grinned as he sang along, heading back to the kitchen to finish up cooking his meal. After everything was ready, he dished himself a large plate and headed to the table to sit down and eat.

As Kasumi was just finishing up the dishes from her own dinner, her phone began to ring. Looking from the dish she held in her soapy hands over to the telephone, she made a small sound of annoyance before placing the dish back in the sink and toweling off her hands.

"Hold on, I'm coming!" she called out to the phone, even though there was no way that the caller would hear her. Making it to the desk where the phone was located, she picked up the handset on the fifth ring. "Hello?"

"Hey Kasumi-chan! How are ya?" the voice on the other side cheerfully rang out. "Hope I'm not interrupting your dinner, am I?"

"Oh no Ranma-kun, I was just finishing up with the dishes. I am fine though, thanks for asking. How are you?" Kasumi smiled at the sound of Ranma's voice.

"I'm great, thanks! Was just calling to see what you were up to tonight? Wonderin' if maybe you wanted to go for a walk or something?"

Kasumi thought about what she was planning on doing that evening and nothing came to mind, since she usually sat at home and watched television or read books to keep her mind from wandering. Deciding that a walk sounded like an excellent evening activity, she let Ranma know of her decision.

"That sounds like a great idea Ranma, what time were you thinking of going out?"

The sound of Ranma's speculative humming came out of the earpiece as he thought of the best time for their walk.

"How does seven thirty sound? Should be hardly any traffic out by then!"

"Alright, that sounds good. What area did you have in mind?" Kasumi thought of areas around her house, but couldn't recall too many as she hadn't ventured out into the area much at all.

"Well there's a nice park that's fairly close to your place we could go to. Has a really nice pond and everything! Trust me, I've landed in it before." Ranma said with a dry chuckle.

"Ah I see...well that sounds excellent. I'll see you around seven thirty then?" Kasumi's voice was filled with warmth at the idea of going out of her house.

"Yup! See you then!" Ranma said and then hung up. Kasumi smiled to herself and went back to the sink to finish her abandoned dishes.

It was nearing seven when Ranma decided to get ready to head over to Kasumi's house. After mentioning the pond in the park, he decided to apply some of his limited supply waterproof soap as insurance that he would stay male the whole night.

"Normally I wouldn't use you just for going to the park," he said to the soap as he lathered up a small piece "but I kinda want to stay a guy tonight. We'll call it a special occasion, ok?"

The original bar, missing a few corners, offered no reply as it sat in it's wax paper wrapping.

"Good! Glad we agree."

After suiting up in his riding gear, Ranma locked up his apartment and headed off into the slowly fading light of the day.

Soon after a short ride he found himself at Kasumi's house. Parking his motorcycle around the side of the house, he attached his disk lock and attached his helmet to the seat before striding towards the front door. Knocking a jolly little pattern he waited until Kasumi opened the door with a smile.

"Hello! Ready to go? I'll just lock up." she said as she stepped through the doorway, closing the door with one hand behind her, then turning and putting her key in the lock. After she placed her keys back in her handbag, she turned back to Ranma. "Alright, shall we?" she said, offering her arm to him. Ranma smiled warmly and grasped the offered arm before setting off.

"We shall!"

As they walked towards the park, they chatted about how each other's days went, and idle things like what they had for dinner. The weather was holding true to the forecast and stayed a pleasantly warm twenty degrees celsius, great early summer weather as far as the pair were concerned. There were very few cars on the road, as Ranma had predicted, and a few couples and some families were moving about the pathways of the park. Everything seemed to be going well as they approached the center of the park, where the pond lay, until a slight change in the air made Ranma's hair stand on end. Kasumi seemed to notice the change in Ranma as he scanned the park for the source of the feeling, noticing the stiffness of his person.

"Ranma? What's wrong?"

"Not sure Kasumi, something feels really wrong though. Haven't felt this kind of heavy ki in a long time. Somebody's pissed out there, that's for sure. We should head out of here pronto."

"Alright, that sounds like a good idea."

As the two turned away from the pond and began to head towards the exit, an echoing chuckle filled the air, it's hollow tone filled with contempt.

"Well well well. What are the odds of running into you here! Must be my lucky day." the voice filled Kasumi with worry and dread, reminding her of her late husband in its cruelty. Ranma's eyes hardened as the both turned to a small crop of trees close to the edge of the pond. A shadow stepped out from the darkness of the branches and into the dull orange light of the street lamps posted around the park paths.

"Kasumi, I want you to run out of here and head home. Things are gonna get ugly."

"What makes you think I'll let your bitch run, eh? When I'm done with you, I'll be on her in no time." the speaker said with an evil grin.

"Go now, Kasumi, I'll handle him here, but I don't want you to get hurt ok?" Ranma spoke to Kasumi without taking his eyes off the man in front of him. Kasumi nodded and turned to make her way out of the park, setting off in a quick jog. The man just leered at her as she ran, before turning his gaze back to Ranma.

"I'm going to enjoy this, femboy. Then her, too!"

Ranma seemed to quake with rage as the man moved backwards to step into the pond.

"Taro, you fucking prick."

End Chapter 7


	9. Chapter 8 Part 1

ClubCafé presents:

The Widow - Chapter 8 Part 1

"My my, such language femboy. Just what you'd expect from someone of your upbringing" Taro smirked. "You know I have yet to thank you for your part in that day, but I think I can hold myself back just this once."

"Yeah well you're most unwelcome, both for what happened then and here right now. The hell's your deal man, couldn't find a chick who's into both beastiality and tentacles?" Ranma couldn't help but snipe at the young man who had made quite the mess a few years back. Sometimes when the weather was ugly he could still feel the throb in his leg.

As soon as the words left his mouth, Ranma could tell they had the desired effect. Taro's nostrils flared and his brow furrowed as his rage bubbled into his face. Clenching his jaw tightly before jutting out his jaw in some form of anger management, Taro sucked in a deep breath through his nostrils before replying.

"I think I found one tonight, femboy." His low, even tone left no question as to whom he was referring to.

"Tch. Now you done gone an' pissed me off," Ranma paused and looked Taro square in the eyes "_Pantyhose._"

Instantly all the rage Taro had been suppressing exploded forth in a violent flurry of red aura.

"THAT'S NOT MY FUCKING NAME!" He roared, punching a hole in the tree he had been leaning on, sending splinters of bark and wood out the other side.

"No I'm pretty sure it is, _Pantyhose_." Ranma chuckled as he put his hands in his pockets and turned slightly away from Taro, taking a few jaunty steps. "After all, the old letch never changed it before he died. It was his last move before you killed him..._Pantyhose._"

"THAT'S RIGHT! I KILLED HIM SO NOW IT'S UP TO ME WHAT MY NAME IS! AND IT'S NOT! FUCKING! PANTYHOSE!"

Taro was positively seething now, just the way Ranma wanted him. It was the best way to deal with this version of Taro, that was certain. Ranma's casual looking stance hid his true motive, of checking on how far Kasumi had gotten. With the quickest of glances he could tell she was still a short distance away from being in the clear, but with his latest barbs he was pretty sure that Taro would follow him halfway around the globe before his rage abated. Just the way he wanted it.

It had been at least two years since he last fought with this Taro, but he was pretty sure he hadn't changed at all. His fighting style relied heavily on his cursed form, and it wasn't like there were many techniques one could learn for yeti holding an eel and crane while riding an ox plus octopus.

Ranma on the other hand, had a few new tricks up his sleeve, and was more than happy to show them to Taro. One of the biggest things that Ranma's rivals remember about his fighting style, was that he would never make the first move. This often could be advantageous for Ranma, especially when there was a large gap of time since the last time they had fought. Grinning madly, Ranma decided that now was the time to press that advantage.

Charging up a small but dense ki ball in his pocket, Ranma quickly pulled out his hand and fired the ball at the ground about five feet in front of him. The dense ball struck the ground with speed and detonated, sending a large cloud of dust into the air. The small explosion caused Taro to recoil slightly, but in the span of less than a blink, Ranma had leaped through the dust cloud and booted Taro straight back into the pond.

Taro hit the water with such speed that he skipped a few times before finally splashing down in the middle. Ranma watched and counted to three before Taro's cursed minotaur like form burst forth from the man-made mini-lake with a strangled cross between a roar and the noise an angry bull might make. The spray from the eruption of his massive body nearly reached where Ranma was now standing, but did not touch him at all causing him to smirk smugly. Upon seeing this, Taro glared and let out a snort of aggravation. Still the same fighting style indeed.

Fighting with Taro usually resulted in the both of them getting wet somehow, and while Ranma's girl form could most likely hold her own against Taro currently, it was only by sheer speed and cunning that won their encounters in the past. Taro's main strategy for this fight would be to get Ranma wet and outmatch her with strength. Luckily for Ranma this tactic would be moot with his earlier application of waterproof soap.

"I knew it was a good choice to lather up tonight, eh Soap-chan!" Ranma said quietly to himself.

Taro blasted out of the water and took to the air in a display that defied the law of physics with his wing size to mass ratio, and made a beeline straight for Ranma. Hoping to catch him with pure speed, Taro snarled when Ranma hopped backwards and out of the way of his overhead double fisted attack. As the attack hit the ground, dirt and dust was thrown up into the air but was quickly dispersed by the gust of air from his charge. Not wasting any time Taro grabbed two of the trees from the thicket he had originally been standing by, including the one he had put his fist through earlier, and launched one of them straight at Ranma's smirking face. Not waiting to see if it hit, Taro again took to the air and prepared to bombard Ranma with the remaining tree.

As the first tree flew towards him, Ranma quickly checked behind him to make sure it was clear, then ducked under the flying foliage. Looking up to see Taro in mid throw of the second tree, Ranma coiled his legs beneath him and launched himself directly towards the oncoming trunk.

Creating a small vacuum blade along the edge of his hand and arm, Ranma cleaved the tree nearly perfectly in half, before quickly reaching over and lopping off a heavy looking limb from on the the halves. Pulling the thick length of wood through his semi-closed hand, he cleared the limb of any branches and brandished his new weapon as a club. Still carrying most of his forward momentum, Ranma flew straight at Taro with a mad grin on his face.

"Batter up!"


End file.
